


Zutto ずっと

by akikazumi



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Modern Era, School, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 04:50:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2800187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akikazumi/pseuds/akikazumi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Title: Zutto ずっと<br/>Pairings: Kanata Hongo X OC, Seto Koji X OC<br/>Genre: Fluff, Angst, School Life, AU<br/>Rating: PG-13<br/>Disclaimer: I don't own any of them.</p><p>Do you believe in forever? Believe in fate, destiny and coincidences?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Zutto ずっと

**Author's Note:**

> My first series fanfiction that doesn't involved JE members at all. It's a pure fanfiction of OC and NON-JE members. Characters are all Japan entertainment artiste just in case you never hear them before. It's a pretty long story since I could have break it into chapters but decided not to. I personally hate chapters, so I would rather read everything at one go! leave a cookie, arigatou

The girl lied on the hospital bed. She looked out of it and realized that it was a piece of pretty light blue sky printed on top. It was as if she's seeing a painting. That sight made her heart skipped slightly.

  
" Kazumi -chan~" a voice was heard, and she turned. "Inna!" she returned the greeting. "How are you feeling today?" her friend asked, before placing the fruit basket down onto the drawer beside the bed.  
  
"Much better. Sensei said that I can be discharged anytime," she smiled, before grabbing her cup of water and taking a sip.  
  
///  
"Jeez, I don't know where the hell is Takeru's brother hospital room. It's so troublesome," the boy said, before fondling his hair. "Hey Koji, isn't that the one? 1903?"  
  
"You remembered, Hongo?"  
  
The boy named Hongo just nodded his head, before they entered the room that was labelled 'Mizushima Hiro', and greeted the person inside. "Hiro-nii! Hope you're feeling better!" both of them said in unison.  
  
"Ah... Seto Koji, and.... Kanata Hongo right?" Hiro asked. Koji and Hongo just nodded their head, before smiling.  
  
"Thank you for always taking care of Takeru for me. My, that brother of mine can be troublesome at times,"  
  
"It's okay! Sato-- I mean Takeru is fun and always the happy go lucky when he's with us. He's not troublesome at all!" Koji replied. Just then, Hiro and Hongo looked at each other before they started laughing.  
  
Koji then joined in, after realising he just said something stupid.  
  
///  
“Takeru!” a smack was given onto his back, before the attacked boy has just moaned in pain. “THAT HURTS YOU BASTARD!” he shouted, before pinning the ‘attacker’ on the shoulders.  
  
“I’m sorry!” the attacker apologized, before getting Takeru off his shoulders. “Jeez, Koji, stop attacking people like this!” Takeru complained, before exercising his neck.  
  
Koji smiled widely, before Hongo have followed behind him. “Takeru, it’s not the first day you know him right?”  
Takeru shake his head, before looking at Hongo. “Are you really his childhood friend? How could you even take his behavior like this?”  
  
Hongo just shrugged his shoulders, before he ran after Koji.  
  
“And then? How was my brother?” Takeru asked, before taking off his shoes, and placing them into the cupboard. Koji then took off his shoes as well, before replying to Takeru’s question.  
  
“Why didn’t you go on Thursday? Hiro-nii said that he missed you!”  
  
Takeru used his finger and scratched his face, as a sign of nervousness. “Well… I had—Um, baseball practice so I couldn’t make it!”  
  
“Since when you’re in baseball?” Hongo cut in. Koji and Hongo started to stare at Takeru before he sighed and his shoulders drooped down. “I quarreled with him last week,” Takeru finally confessed.  
  
Three of them began their walk towards the classroom. Koji- as always been the busybody, started to harp on the topic. “What happened?”  
  
“Well…. I told him that after high school I’ll start to work, and he went on blabbering that he can afford it. Well, you know that my parents died when I was young, and Hiro started to raise me up on himself. So I wanted to help him in whatever way I can,” Takeru explained, before he fling his bag onto the table, and settled down clumsily.  
  
Koji and Hongo nodded their head, before they got the situation. “Well, it’s that right. The… quarrel of brothers that they said,”  
  
Hongo just nodded his head. For once, he agreed with what Koji was saying.  
///  
“Innnnnaaaaaaa!” a loud and chirpy voice was heard, followed by a figure running into her embrace. “Kazumi? You’re discharged?” Inna asked, before pulling the girl out of her embrace. Kazumi nodded her head vigorously, before she cut in.  
  
“Look! Do I look cute?” Kazumi said, before she danced and turned around in her uniform.  
  
“What’s with you? That’s not the first time you’re wearing this uniform right?” Inna questioned, while looking at Kazumi. Kazumi pouted, before she hooked her hand into Inna’s arm. “Mou! Inna you won’t understand how does it feel to just wear a robe all day long in a white room!”  
  
Inna started to giggle at that comment, before understanding what Kazumi was trying to say. “Alright alright, let’s go before we’re late!” Inna said, before pulling Kazumi behind her.  
  
///  
“UWAH!” Koji exclaimed out as Hongo opened his bento. “UWAH!” another sound went off, and Hongo looked up, to see two ‘puppies’ staring at his lunch box. “You make that yourself?” Koji asked, before he took a bite from his bread. Hongo nodded his head, before his head turn to the other ‘puppy’.  
  
“It looks delicious~” Takeru whined, before he sighed, and settled down onto the floor. “I miss Hiro’s bento,”  
  
“Eh, Hiro-nii cooks?” Koji blurted out, this time he was holding on to a packet of chocolate milk. Takeru nodded his head. “Well, sometimes he cooks for me,”  
  
“Uwah, really like a big brother~” Koji continued, before he lied flat onto the ground. “That’s good, having siblings like that. I wish to have one too~”  
  
Hongo started chewing off his food, before he looked up to where Koji was looking as well. “Well, having a sibling is not necessary always good though,”  
  
“Why? You’re not getting along well with your older sister?” Koji asked, before he took the packet of melon bread on the side, and opening the package. “She’s getting married,” Hongo blurted out, before he popped one crab sushi into his mouth.  
  
Koji sat up, before turning to look at Hongo. “How old is your older sister again?”  
  
Takeru blurted in, “Since when did Hongo have a older sister?”  
  
Hongo and Koji both turned to Takeru, before giving the ‘Just shut up and listen’ face before Koji turned back to Hongo once again. “She’s just a year older. Apparently the guy she is together got her pregnant, and then they’re going to get married. She made my mother so mad that she chased her out of the house. Whenever I go home, my mother is either scolding my father for been out all the time, if not she scolds me and warns me not to follow after my sister’s steps,”  
  
“I think Takeru is the luckiest of us all,” Koji said, before he took a bite from his melon bread, and turning towards Takeru. Takeru just smiled slightly, before he turned back to his food and continue eating. Hongo sighed.  
  
Silence surfaced between the three friends.  
  
///  
The two girls were wearing their shoes at the entrance of the school when the girl with long hair came forward and suggested to go for karaoke later on in the day.  
  
“I can’t,” the other girl replied, before she hurriedly looked at her watch, as though she’s rushing for time.  
  
“Where are you going?” Inna asked, before she chased after Kazumi, who was by then already at the school entrance. “I need to go for my part-time job,”  
  
“So soon? You just got released from the hospital, my dear,” Inna reprimanded her, and clicked her forehead slightly. Kazumi just clasped her hand together, before she looked at Inna. “Sorry Inna, my family needs my pay, you know that right?”  
  
Inna just sighed, before she looked at Kazumi. “I’ll visit you if I can, take care all right?”  
  
Kazumi just flashed her big smile, before she waved goodbye and rushed off to her part time job location.  
  
///  
“So! Where do you guys want to go? Shopping or something?” Koji asked, as he walked backwards. “Sorry, I’m going to the hospital today,” Takeru apologized, before Hongo and Koji just nodded their head before Takeru walked the opposite direction. “Let’s go to town, I heard there’s a new movie,” Hongo suggested.  
  
Two of the boys walked the direction towards town. They stopped by a pasta shop, and was greeted by a waitress that was standing there.  
  
“Welcome to Le Frezei, I’ll be your personal waitress for the day. A table for two?” the girl asked. Hongo and Koji nodded their head, before entering the shop.  
  
The girl guided them to a corner of the shop, before placing the menu down to their table. “Today’s soup of the day will be mushroom soup, while our drink of the day is lemonade tea, I’ll be around here, so if you do need to take your orders, feel free to call me. I shall excuse for now,” the girl said politely, before giving a warm and nice smile before she walked away.  
  
“Wow, I felt like she just recited the whole greeting thing to us,” Koji whispered. Hongo opened the menu before looking at Koji, “She’s used to it already,”  
  
The two boys decided what to eat, and they called the waitress over once again. The girl took down their orders, before going back to the counter to pass the order to her colleague. “Kazumi-chan, don’t overwork yourself, you just discharge from the hospital, alright?”  
  
Kazumi nodded her head slightly, however, her head was spinning around much. She tried to hold on, and carried the tray of food over to the customers.  
  
“Here’s your--” her legs gave in, and suddenly she fall to the ground. Hongo, who saw her falling, immediately catch onto her, while Koji have grabbed onto the tray.  
  
“Safe, phew~” Koji said, before he placed the tray onto the table.  
  
Hongo, whose arms now are holding Kazumi, had gently princess carried her towards a chair. By then, her colleagues have all rush over to Kazumi, and gently tried to wake her up.  
  
Kazumi remained unconscious for nearly twenty minutes, before she woke up. By the time she was awake, her customers have consumed their food finish, and left the place.  
  
///  
“EH!? You fainted?” Inna screamed before Kazumi have pinned her down, and covered her mouth. “Shhh, I don’t need you going announcing it to the entire world, Inna-chan,” Kazumi then released the grip from Inna’s mouth before she went back to eat her lunch.   
  
“And then, the important thing, I heard from the shop owner that a young teenage boy managed to catch me on time, which had helped me to avoid falling to the ground if not I might have hit my head as well. He also carried me all the way to the staff lounge. I really want to find this boy and give my gratitude to him,” Kazumi continued on the story.   
  
“But the shop owner didn’t even managed to find out his name and he left,” Kazumi sighed, before she finished her last bread that she had.   
  
Inna then sighed after her. “So? What do you want me to do?”   
  
Kazumi looked at Inna before her puppy eyes flashed in front of her. “But she said that the boy was wearing our school uniform, and his tie was blue! So he’s in the same year as us! So… my point is…”  
  
“Ah, I got it. NO!” Inna exclaimed before she tucked her hands in front of her chest and turned around.   
  
“Inna-chann~ pretty please? You know I don’t like to owe favours to people, especially to boys!” Kazumi begged, while grabbing onto Inna’s arms.   
  
Inna looked at Kazumi, before she sighed. “How many boys do you think there are in our cohort?! How in the world are we going to identify him just based on school uniform, and blue tie?”   
   
Kazumi pondered, before she started to refresh her memory on the shop owner encounter again. “Ah! She said that there is another boy that was with him and that boy was dressed rather tardily. And he had this cute okami(wolf) keychain on his bag!”   
  
Inna’s eyebrow crossed each other. “Really Kazumi? Based on these and you’re going to find such a boy from our cohort?”   
  
Kazumi grabbed onto Inna’s arms. “Please Inna-chan! I know you have a better connection in terms of relations with people, pleaseeeeee~”   
  
Inna sighed, before she sent a click to Kazumi’s forehead. “Just this once I will go along with your childish behaviour. No more next time!”   
  
Kazumi jumped before she gave a hug to Inna. “Thank you!”   
  
“I’ll go around and ask my friends from club about it. Don’t wait for me after school, you should go first later,”   
  
Kazumi nodded her head.   
  
///  
“Eh? Hongo became a hero?” Takeru blurted out as he looked over to Hongo who by then was wishing there is a hole right in front of him right now so that he can hide it.   
  
Since the incident of the waitress fainting and him catching her just in time before she falls to the ground, Koji had been spreading it around the batch of students saying that Hongo saved a “damsel in distress” and adding on his own backstory of how the girl is trying to find him right now.   
  
“It’s not like what he is saying, close your ears Sato,” Hongo tried to explain.   
“Don’t be shy, it’s true that you really catch her in the nick of the time,” Koji retorted.   
  
“You can’t blame me. I learn aikido. Reacting to situations around me is becoming a norm to me. Seeing something falling to the ground makes me move on my own. It’s not like it’s because it’s the waitress that’s why I was fast,”   
  
“Well, well, well, there you go again, acting all humble. What’s wrong with just admitting that you want to save that waitress? She was pretty cute as well,” Koji teased.   
  
Hongo send a hit on the neck of Koji’s before the latter had groaned in pain.   
  
“One more time and I’ll seriously break your neck, Seto Koji,”   
  
Koji bowed his head down, before he shouted. “I am truly very sorry, Kanata-sama, please forgive me,”   
  
Takeru just stood at the side, giggling at the duo communicating.    
  
///  
“Eh? Kazumi-chan, are you really all right to come back? Why don’t you rest longer?” Kazumi’s coworker, Ren-san worriedly asked.   
  
“Thank you for concern, I am all well,” Kazumi assured, before she had tied the apron around her and grabbed a tray to start work. “Don’t overwork yourself, it’s good to know you’re well but still…”   
  
“Ren-san, thank you for concern, but I am really fine,” she assured once again before she went out to serve the customers.   
  
///  
“Ah, it’s this shop, ‘La Frezei’!” Koji exclaimed as the trio walked past it on the way home.   
  
“What’s up with this shop?” Takeru questioned, looking at the fanciful signboard that was hung. “This is the shop where Hongo saved the girl! Asking the obvious, Sato,” Koji sighed and acted all mighty.   
  
Takeru’s mouth went to an oval shape as he looked up and down at the shop display.   
  
“I’m really curious how does that girl you saved looked like, Hongo,” Takeru joined in and teased Hongo as well. Hongo just sighed, before he placed his hand onto his bag. “I can’t keep up with you guys. See all you want, I’m heading to my aikido center. See you guys tomorrow,” with that, Hongo had left the entrance of the shop.   
  
Koji had ushered Takeru to follow after him as he lead the latter into the shop.   
  
“Welcome to La Frezei, a table for two?” the waiter that was standing near the entrance greeted them. Both of them nodded their head before the waiter have guided them over to their seat. The waiter then placed the menu down before he went off to serve other customers. 

The two were looking around as Koji tried to spot for the waitress that had fainted the previous day. Just then, right at the corner, was that waitress, speaking to the waiter that had just served them few minutes ago. Koji nudged Takeru as the latter looked up.   
  
“Ren-san, I’m really fine so stop snatching customers to serve. You’re bothering me,” Kazumi whispered sternly at the older boy.   
  
Ren looked at Kazumi before he sighed.   
  
  
“It’s not only me, but the shop owner also wishes you to do work at a moderate level, she’s worried you know. Who do you think am I working so hard for? We just want you to have ample rest, and you’re over here being so stubborn and refuse to rest. So the only method is for me to work even harder, isn’t it?”   
  
The girl lowered her head after hearing what Ren had said.   
  
Ren then went ahead to pat the girl’s head before letting out a sigh of relief, “Now you understand our intention, just do it at a moderate level, alright?”   
  
She obediently nodded her head before the duo had gone back to work.   
  
“She’s a cutie, isn’t she?” Koji said as he nudged Takeru. Takeru just nodded his head, as his eyes stayed fixed on that girl.   
///  
Throughout the journey home, the girl’s face was etched deeply inside Takeru’s head.   
  
“Sato, don’t tell me you’re falling for her? She’s Hongo mind you!” Koji warned him. Takeru laughed before he looked over to Koji. “Hongo didn’t even talk to her, how does that make her his?”   
  
Koji blushed a little after he realizes he said something stupid. However, he still continued to protect the girl and keep emphasising on the fact that the waitress is Hongo’s and they should not be touching her.   
Takeru just brushed it off.   
  
///  
“It’s not easy. I need to use my entire connection in school to help you find that boy with that okami keychain!” she paused, before she continued. “Ah, I’m tired, treat me for lunch today. I was so busy contacting the people till I didn’t have time to make my own boxed lunch today,” Inna grumbled.   
  
Kazumi clasped her hands together and bowed her head. “Really sorry Inna-chan, but thank you! I’ll treat today!” 

“And then? You’re still going to work today?” Inna asked, as she gobbled down her yakisoba bread that Kazumi bought for her.   
  
Kazumi nodded her head. “I told you, my family needs my pay,”   
  
Inna sighed. “Your father left you all you with a mountain of debts and ran away… What a horrible man he is,”   
  
Kazumi laughed sheepishly. “Well, I guess that old man have situations on his own… and he isn’t my real father. My real father disappeared when I was three, and I was separated from my real brother at that age and I was later then adopted into this family,”   
  
Inna then gave a pat onto Kazumi. “Don’t overexert yourself, alright?” 

Kazumi nodded her hand, before she clapped her hands together. “Ah! Inna-chan, how about coming over to my workplace after school? I can ask the chef to cook something for you on my bill!”   
  
Inna nodded her head in consent before she went back to her bread.   
  
///  
“Irashaimase!” the waiter greeted as the three boys entered the shop. “For three?” the waiter asked. Takeru and Koji recognized it as the waiter named Ren.   
  
“Yes please,” Hongo replied as he followed after the waiter.   
  
“Tell me again, why this shop?” Hongo said, sighing.   
  
Koji looked at Takeru before Takeru just avoided the gaze. “Well, the food here is cheap and nice. Moreover, it’s near school too?” Koji laughed, trying to cover up his real motive.   
  
Hongo sighed. “Enough of your nonsense, Koji. Sato, you shouldn’t be accompanying him along with such childish behavior!”   
  
“Well… it’s okay isn’t it? Anyway, I’m pretty curious of that waitress myself,” Takeru admitted before Koji and kicked him in the leg. Takeru looked at Koji before Koji gave the glare of ‘That girl belongs to Hongo,’   
  
“May I take your orders?” A familiar voice was heard, and Takeru and Koji had looked up. “AH!” Koji accidentally exclaimed.   This time, Takeru had kicked Koji in the leg.   
  
“Um… is there anything the matter?” the waitress asked, perplexed of Koji’s sudden reaction.   
  
“It’s nothing,” Takeru replied.   
  
“Three plates of Set A will do, and three cups of water,” Hongo replied, before passing the menus back to the waitress.   
  
“I got your order, please hold on a moment,” the waitress said, before taking the menu back from Hongo and going back into the kitchen.   
  
“Look likes she didn’t recognize Hongo at all,” Takeru reacted. Koji placed his finger onto his lips, before he make Takeru to keep quiet.   
  
‘You shouldn’t be stepping onto someone’s sensitive topic!’ Koji whispered, loud enough for Hongo to hear. Hongo then karate chop Koji’s head. “I didn’t mind at all. As I said, it was just so happen that she was falling and I was nearby, all right? Stop harping on the matter time and time again,”   
  
“Sorry for the wait, your three cups of water is here,” the waitress came back, and placed the cups on the table.   
  
This time, Koji stopped her from leaving. “Excuse me?”  
  
“Yes? How may I help you?” the waitress asked.   
  
“What’s your name?”   
  
The waitress was taken aback, before she took a small step back. Koji hurriedly tried to cover up. “Um, sorry about that. But three of us have been coming here recently and we have seen you working almost everyday, so I got curious and just wanted to know your name. We won’t do anything, right?”   
  
The waitress keeps quiet as she looked at the three teenage boys. ‘Well… they looked harmless…’ she thought.   
  
“My name is Seto Koji, and this guy beside me is Kanata Hongo. The one across is Sato Takeru. We’re all second year students from Minami High,” Koji replied, to make her feel more reassured that they meant no harm.   
  
The waitress smiled, before she bowed her head slightly. “Aki…. Aki Kazumi, nice to meet you,” she replied.   
  
Just then she heard a voice calling for her before she excused herself.   
  
“Hmm.. Kazumi huh, why does this name sound so familiar?” Takeru mumbled to himself.   
  
Hongo’s eyes were fixed onto Kazumi as he whispered softly.  _“Aki…. Kazumi,”_  
  
“Hey, who are those three boys?” Inna asked when she called her over. “Customers?” Kazumi replied, as she placed a basket of chips down for Inna.   
  
“You seemed to be immensely talking to them just now though?” Inna emphasised.   
  
“They were just commenting on how nice the foods are in our café, that’s all,” Kazumi tried to cover up that the customers were actually kind of hitting on her. If she tells that to Inna, the latter will probably, no, definitely go up and talked to the three guys to stop harassing her.   
  
“I’m going back to work first, if you need help you can just call my other colleagues,” Kazumi said and with that she was back on the ground serving customers.   
  
“Hongo, are you really not going to talk to her?” Koji probed again, before he placed down his glass of water.   
  
“Set A has arrived. All customers have ordered the same thing right?” Kazumi said as she placed down the three sets of Set A onto the table. “Well… if you excuse me,” she said as she walked off. Takeru then stood up, and went after Kazumi to the back of the store. 

“Aki…san?” Takeru questioned as Kazumi turns. “Ah… Sa…Sato Takeru-san, I presume?” she replied.   
  
Takeru smiled and nodded his head. “Say, have we met anywhere before? Your name really sounds familiar,”  
  
Kazumi looked at Takeru, before she shakes her head. “I think this is my first time encountering you, Sato-san,”   
  
“Ah… I know right, this should not be the case. I’m sorry, it’s probably a mistake on my side,” Takeru apologized, as he scratched the back of his head.   
  
“Oh, are you better right now? I heard you fainted the other time,” Takeru mentioned before he attempted to go back to his seat. Kazumi’s eyes widened when she looked over to Takeru.

“How…?”   
  
“Ah, it’s actually my friend who saved you the other time. It’s the Kanata Hongo guy inside. We told him to talk to you about it, but he’s pretty persistent on not wanting to mention about it,” Takeru added on. He paused before continuing, “Glad to see you fine, I’m heading in first,”   
  
Kazumi bowed down as Takeru walked back into the store.   
  
“No… No way. The one I’m looking for is just right in front of me,” she whispered.   
  
“AH! SATO!” Koji screamed which made all the customers in the store looked over. Hongo stood up and apologized while Takeru runs back to the table.   
  
“You secretly went and find Aki-san right!” Koji declared. Takeru tried to look around and lie it off, but apparently it isn’t working. “Didn’t I said that she’s Hongo?!” Koji commented, which earned a whack on the head by Hongo.   
  
“Shut it Koji, you’re making a ruckus here,”   
  
Kazumi exited from the back and went over to where Inna was. “Inna-chan…” she whispered. Inna looked up at her, before she knew something was off. 

“The boy that saved me, he’s there,” Kazumi whispered as she pointed to where the three boys were.   
  
Inna’s eyes widened as she looked over to the direction.   
  
Inna then stood up, before she grabbed onto Kazumi’s wrist and pulled her over to where the three boys were. When she reached, Inna saw the faces of the three boys more clearly. “AH!” she exclaimed.   
  
The three boys turned and looked over to the sound, and they retaliated the same reaction.   
  
“Inna-chan?” Koji voiced out.   
  
“Ah, it’s Inna,” Takeru sounded.   
  
“Oh it’s been awhile, Inna-san,” Hongo mentioned.   
  
Inna face palmed herself. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that the one I have been looking for is actually this trio over here, damn,”   
  
“Inna, you know them?” Kazumi asked.  Inna looked at Kazumi and nodded her head. “Yes, they were in the same class as me when we were in first year. Those days were like … really tiring, and tiring,”   
  
“Hey, don’t say till we ruined your life,” Koji grumbled.   
  
“Well, you literally did, all three of you. Well, maybe Hongo didn’t, but the other two did!” she complained.   
  
Kazumi looked over to the four of them as a confused look have surfaced onto her. Hongo realized the situation and have looked over to Kazumi, before he smiled and said. “Don’t mind. They’ve been like that since first year,”   
  
Kazumi just nodded her head slightly before she continued to listen to the conversation that went on for awhile.   
  
Inna then pulled a chair and settle beside the three guys. “But I can’t believe that the one Kazumi was looking for was actually from the trio, what a coincidence,”   
  
“Eh? Finding? You mean what?” Koji questioned.   
  
Kazumi by then have went off to serve customers, as they were shorthanded, leaving Inna with the three boys.   
  
“She heard from the shop owner that a teenage boy wearing our school uniform have saved her. So she wanted to find who was the boy and thank him. It’s because she don’t like owing people, moreover, on top of that, it’s a boy!” Inna complained, as she grabbed onto Koji’s cup of water and steal a sip from it.   
  
“AHH! That’s refreshing. But thanks to her, I was pretty busy myself too!” she complained, looking towards the boy. “Hmm… so it was Hongo,” she paused for a while before she looked over to Kazumi who was not quite far from them.  
  
“Well… I think it’s okay. You both are pretty a good match,” she continued sipping on her drink.   
  
Koji and Takeru looked at each other before they stood up and high five each other.   
  
“See Hongo, we told you! Even Inna-chan agrees with us!”   
  
“Go for it man!”   
  
“Ah, that’s impossible, ne?” Inna voiced out as she placed the cup of water onto the table. 

The three boys turned and looked at her, this time with question marks all surfacing around their head.   
  
Inna pointed to Kazumi, before she looked at them. “She’s… manphobic,” 

“Eh?” three of them answered together.   
  
Inna scratched the back of neck. “As I am saying, Kazumi is afraid of boys, so it’s impossible for you to become her boyfriend. She’s okay with been friends, but she’ll make sure she have a certain distance between herself and the boy when they’re conversing,”   
  
Takeru had the previous conversation flashed inside his head before he realizes as well.   
  
“You did wonder for a moment, Kazumi is a good catch but why doesn’t she have a boyfriend isn’t it? Now you know. Every single guy that confesses to her gets rejected. She’s known as the ice queen, the girl that can be seen but can’t be touched,” Inna replied.   
  
She then called a waiter over to order more foods before she continued. “Even though she’s like this, she’s pretty popular for her face,”   
  
Koji and Takeru nodded their head. “We can totally understand,…” they said together.   
  
Hongo suddenly stood up before he grabbed his bag. “This is stupid, I’m leaving first. I have practices too,”   
  
“Oi, Hongo!” Takeru called out. Koji then stopped Takeru, “Let him go,”   
  
Takeru confusedly sat down before he just looked at the back of Hongo.   
“This story probably got his memories back, so just leave him alone,” Koji said.   
  
“Memories?” Inna and Takeru asked.   
  
“He got rejected by a girl who was manphobic when we were in junior high,” Koji said, sighing. “That was horrible,”   
  
 _Her back was so definite. His hands were slightly shivering. “I…I like you! Ever since… ever since then, I have like you. Please go out with me!” he shouted as emotions overwhelmed him._  
  
 _The girl was at a considerably a distance from him. As he raised his head, the girl stood still in front of him, her hands in front of her chest area, both grabbing onto each other._  
  
 _He attempted to go near her, when she came back to her senses. “IYA!!! GET AWAY FROM ME! DISGUSTING FREAK! BOYS…. BOYS ARE ALL THE WORST!”_  
  
 _He stood there rooted, as the girl runs away._  
  
 _The next day, the girl transferred school._  
  
“Since then, Hongo shut his feelings away, and never ever mention anything regarding relationships anymore,” Koji sighed once again.   
  
“Hmm.. as I thought, Hongo is really deep!” Takeru commented.   
  
Inna then placed the cup down, before she got up. “Ah well, just don’t get him into another situation like this anymore. So you two stop encouraging him to confess to Kazumi because she’s not going to accept it at all, alright?”   
  
“See ya,” she waved before exiting the shop.   
  
“I’m  home,” Takeru said as he entered his house. “Welcome home, go get freshen up while I prepare dinner,” Hiro said.   
  
“Hiro, is your memory good?” Takeru asked. “What is it?” Hiro replied, his back facing Takeru.   
  
“Well, I was just wondering if you find the name ‘Aki Kazumi’ familiar?”   
  
Hiro pondered awhile, before he shake his head. “No... I don’t think so, why?”   
  
“There is this girl that her name caught my attention. It feels like I know her from somewhere, but I don’t know where,” Takeru explained.   
  
“It’s more like you are interested in her, isn’t it? Oh my younger brother is all grown up,” Hiro teased before he went back on cooking dinner.   
  
Takeru rolled his eyes before he went off to his bedroom and continue pondering.   
  
///  
“Excuse me, is Aki Kazumi-san around?” A lad stood near the door while the classmates near the door attended to him.  
  
“Ah.. you’re Seto Koji-san right?” she said, as she stood at a obvious distance away from him.  
  
“Ops, I am sorry I forgot you are afraid of guys,” Koji said.   
  
“It’s okay, I will make sure that the distance is acceptable for me, is there anything the matter?”  
  
“No, I just wanted to ask you if you are really manphobic. Do you really not intending to get a boyfriend like what Inna have claimed?”   
  
“I guess not…” Kazumi said as she diverted her eyes away.  
  
“Even if you know that the guy has the same phobia as you, will you consider?” Koji asked.   
  
“What’s wrong with you? Why do you keep asking such questions?” Kazumi looked at Koji before she started to fidget slightly.   
  
“No, I am just curious. Hongo seems to be really interested in you, so I really wanted things to go well for both of you,”   
  
Kazumi sighed, “Even if he is interested in me, I can’t go near him, I’ll shiver and stammer,”   
  
“You are the only one that can cure Hongo! He got rejected by manphobic girl last time, and the only one who can cure him is another manphobic girl like you,”  
  
“Who do you think you are to me? What makes you think that I need to help him?” Kazumi questioned.   
  
“I believe in you! You won’t leave him in the lurch, won’t you? He’s your savior, remember?”   
  
“I already expressed my gratitude to him. What more do you want me to do?”   
  
“Help me to help him overcome his phobia, just overcoming him will do. I will not expect anything more than that. If he doesn’t overcome it, he will never do so in his entire life. I don’t want to see Hongo continue on like this, shutting himself away from relationships and ignoring his true feelings to girls that he is interested in,”  
  
“Kazumi? What’s wrong?” Kazumi turned and saw Inna walking towards them.  
   
“Seto? What are you doing with Kazumi?”  
  
Koji explained the situation to Inna.  She etched her eyebrow as she looks at Koji.   
  
“Why must she? Who is Hongo to her? Even if he’s her saviour, so what? It was just a fall for goodness sake, stop harping on it and making it like she owe him her life,”  
  
Inna grabbed onto Kazumi and pulled her away with Koji head hung low.   
  
“Inna, don’t you think I should help Hongo? Seto-san looks kind of discouraged,”  
  
“It’s none of your business. Anyway, did you take your medicine yesterday? You look pale, or is it that you still don’t feel well?”  
  
“I’m fine don’t worry,"  
  
Inna heaved a sigh of relief before she slumped into the chair. “Don’t go scaring people like that, I really am worried that you will work till your body breaks down. As much as your family needs your pay, without your health in place, you won’t be able to give them the money that they need to,”  
  
“I got it, Inna. Don’t worry, I will take care of myself,”  
  
///  
“You went to find the Aki Kazumi? Whatever for?” Takeru blurted out upon knowing about it.   
  
“Well, I feel that the only person that can help Hongo is her. Since the one who hurt Hongo was a manphobic girl, so I reckon Aki-san can help him,”  
   
Hongo placed the egg into his mouth before he looked up towards Koji. “I didn’t ask you to do that. Iam happy the way things are right now, why do you go and do such a thing?”   
  
Koji lowered his head, without saying anything  
  
“I indirectly caused you to be afraid of relationships since I pushed you back then to go and confess. If it wasn’t for me, you would not have confess and you would probably have a girlfriend by now,”  
“How many times do I need to tell you Koji, it isn’t your fault. It’s purely my own decision, so it’s more on you reap what you sow,”  
  
“It isn’t a mistake, why do you need to suffer?”  
  
Takeru who was hearing at the corner could not stand it any further and decided to give a halt to their argument.  
  
Okay stop it. I don’t see a point in this argument already. Seriously, both of you have your own point so don’t bother arguing any further,”  
  
“Hongo, Koji is just worried about you. Koji, you need to think in the shoes of Hongo as well. I doubt it is that easy to overcome the phobia too. Give Hongo some time, alright?”  
  
Koji and Hongo nodded their head in consent.  
  
After school, the three decided to visit the shop that Kazumi worked in once again. They wanted to apologize for making her involved in their problems these few times round.  
  
“Welcome, table for three?” the waiter greeted while he ushered them to the table  
  
Three of them settled down when in a distance, they saw Kazumi.  
  
“Aki-san!” a voice called, and she turned.  
  
She walked over to the trio and smiled. “What is it that you like today?” she asked, as she took over her notepad. “Um, three sets of set c today please. I would like three ice-cream to go with it too,” Takeru said.  
  
Kazumi nodded her head before she went off to the kitchen to place the orders  
  
“Oh, that’s a surprise, Koji. I didn’t hear you saying anything about Hongo and Kazumi,”   
  
Koji looked at Takeru before he rolled his eyes. “I have been warned by Hongo, what more can I say further?”  
  
Hongo grinned and looked at Koji. “I really appreciate your help, I truly am, but please just let me handle it alright?”  
  
“Why are the three of you here again?” a voice was heard and the trio turned.   
  
“Inna-chan!” Koji voiced out. Inna looked at Hongo and then towards the other two before she found a seat and settled down comfortably once again. “Are you trying your luck with Hongo and Kazumi again?”   
  
Takeru and Koji looked at each other before Hongo started to laugh out.  
  
“They probably did not thought of it, but now after you say, maybe they might consider once again,” Takeru said. He then continue on, “Inna-san, I would much appreciate if you do not mention anything further than this,”  
  
Inna took the cup of water that was found on the table and started to sip on it. She shrugged her shoulders and make an action with her finger going across her lips, indicating that she would keep quiet about it from that moment. Few minutes later, Kazumi came over with the meals that they ordered, and realized that Inna was situated at the same table. As much as in doubt, Kazumi also placed Inna’s order on the same table as the rest.  
  
“Say, Aki-san, are you free this coming weekend?”   
  
Kazumi gave a questioning look before Takeru carried on. “Why not hang out together? Like the five of us? I bet it will be fun!”   
  
Hongo and Koji gave a look to Takery with a hidden meaning that Takeru could guess so. He ignored it and continue looking at Kazumi and Inna for approval. Kazumi looked at Inna to seek for advice and Inna just sigh. Inna then looked over to Takeru that was by then have been looking at Inna and giving the full of hope face. Inna sighed and murmured, “Why not?”   
  
Kazumi’s face lit up slightly. It have been awhile since she went out and it just so happen that she is off this weekend as the store manager wanted her to take a break. Takeru clapped his hands together in delight upon getting the approval. “Alright, let’s meet up at 12pm in the afternoon and we’ll see what we can do from there,”  
  
Excitedly, all four of them took their utensils and started eating while Kazumi went back to work.  
  
///  
The weekend came. Kazumi and Inna stood by the meeting place and patiently waited for the guys to appear. “Sorry that we are late!” the voices exclaimed.   
  
Beside Takeru, was an unfamiliar figure that Kazumi and Inna never seen. Koji saw Kazumi questioning look before he explained.   
  
“This is Mizushima Hiro, I call him Hiro-nii. He is Sato’s brother,”  
  
Kazumi bowed down and looked at him. “Nice to meet you, my name is Aki Kazumi,”  
  
“Heh, nice to meet you, Kazumi-chan. Oh, I’m sorry, do you mind me calling you that?” Hiro spoke, before he realize he unconsciously addressed her name.   
  
Kazumi nodded her head, indicating she’s alright. Hiro then looked at Inna from top to bottom, before smiling. “Heh… so you’re the girl my little brother is interested in,”   
  
Kazumi immediately looked over to Takeru before Takeru gave Hiro a whack in his stomach. “Stop spout nonsense! I never say such thing!”   
  
Hiro hurriedly apologized.   
  
 Inna then stepped forward and introduce herself. “I’m inna. My full name is a drag, so just call me Inna will do. Any honorific is fine,”   
  
All the rest started to snigger slightly at Inna’s answer and Inna just frowned and blurted a “What’s wrong?”   
  
They went on and took the suggestion of Takeru, as they settled down in a cafe nearby.   
  
They went on and chat and Kazumi suddenly blurted on something, which made her curious for quite awhile since they all gathered.  
  
“Why does Sato-san and Mizushima-san have different family name? Aren’t they siblings?”   
  
Koji tried to make Kazumi withdraw the question but Inna just slapped Koji and warn him not to touch Kazumi.  
  
Sato and Mizushima look at each other before they giggled. Finally someone asked them. Nobody have asked them and they really sometimes wonder if they really look really alike .  
  
“It’s more of we are afraid that we touch a sensitive topic,” Hongo said. Koji just nodded in agreement.  
  
Hiro took up his cup of hot chocolate before taking a sip from it.  
  
He then placed it down, and started to say his side of the story.   
  
“I was actually the only son of Mizushima family. One day, my parents saw Takeru roaming around on the streets with ragged clothing and pale face. My parents took him in and started to nurse him. They thought of nursing him back to health before finding his parents,”  
  
Takeru continued from there, “My blood father took me and run away from my sister and my mother.  My father and I had nothing so we stole foods from store and pass the days as it passed. We manage to survive like this for months, before my father actually went to steal some money from a yakuza. He got beaten to death right on the spot.  I thought I was about to die without my father, but that was when Hiro parents picked me up,”  
  
Inna took a cup of water and sipped it. “Just saying, but I think the one that is more compatible would be Takeru and Kazumi now,”  
  
Kazumi immediately spitted out her drink and grabbed onto Inna. “Inna! What are you talking about!”   
  
 “It’s true, isn’t it.  You went through so much yourself as well. How often can you actually meet someone who went through the same ordeal as you at such young age?”   
  
Kazumi tried to make Inna keep quiet about it but it was too late. Koji butted in and asked in what way was it similar.  
  
“It’s nothing much,” Kazumi hesitated to say. Everybody started to look at her before she had no choice. “It’s just that I got adopted into my current family. I don’t know where is my blood family is,”  
  
“The truth is my adopted mother told me that when she picked me up that night,I was having a high fever, and I look really pale. When I woke up, I could barely have any recollection of my memories. I only see pieces of my memories. All I know was that I had a brother, and my father. I don’t know what happen but I see them leaving. My adopted family tried to find my real family but they couldn’t find out anything,”  
  
“Ah, no wonder when I ask you if we met before you said you did not have any impression. I have always found your name very familiar, but I just can’t remember where I heard it before,” Takeru said. “So even if we did met when we were younger, you could not remember because you barely have any recollection of your past,”  
  
Inna looked at Takeru, “Don’t go flirting around with Kazumi. You need to get my approval first,” Inna blurted out.   
  
Hongo and Koji started to laugh as they commented on how Inna acts like a protective mother.   
  
Takeru protested in defence as he did not meant it that way.   
  
Inna look over to the Hongo who have been keeping quiet the entire time. She then grabbed onto Hongo and pulls him out, leaving Kazumi behind with the rest that leaves the others in awe as well.   
  
///  
“What’s wrong with you, are you okay?” Inna asked.  
  
“I am okay, its just I still don’t feel comfortable talking with Aki-san around,”  
  
“Am I not a girl? I feel insulted for a moment,” Inna teased while pouting.  
  
“I don’t mean it that way. I also took awhile to speak to you the other time, so yours is over and I feel really comfortable talking to you. In fact, Inna-san is the only girl I could talk to so comfortably,”  
  
Inna heart skipped a beat.   
  
“Wh—what?” she thought. “Why did my heart skipped?”   
  
Hongo looked at her and sighed. “It shouldn’t have affect me so much actually, but the thought of going near girls make me think back those words would probably happen to me again, so I am afraid of going near girls,”  
  
Inna settle down on the chair that was situated outside the cafe.   
  
“Take it slowly. Kazumi also have phobia in guys but it seems like she herself isn’t aware that she is already fine. Like leaving her alone with those guys there, and she isn’t complaining at all,”  
  
Hongo smiled and looked at Inna, “It’s more of you didn’t give her any chance to retaliate,” Hongo replied.  
  
Inna laughed, “That’s true,”  
  
///  
“Hey, are you and Hongo still that way?” Takeru asked as he nudged Koji. Koji looked over to Takeru and shrugged his shoulders. “He doesn’t seem to talk much to me anymore. Maybe it’s really stupid of me to have done that. I really just wanted the best for him,”  
  
Kazumi and Hiro just looked at each other before they took their own cup of drink and continue drinking it while the two continue their little heart to heart talk.   
  
Time passed by and soon they were ready to go for dinner. The five of them head down to a Japanese restaurant and settle down to eat.   
  
“I would like salmon bento please!” two voices said at the same time. The two voices looked at each other, before the others laughed.   
  
“Sato is forever eating salmon bento, but I never expect someone else to like it so much as well,” Hongo said as he look towards the other person.  
  
Kazumi frantically lowered her head in embarrassment and Inna immediately voiced out. “She have loved salmon bento since the beginning of time. She always eats the rice first before she eats the salmon. She said she always have this habit ever since young,”  
  
Hiro looked over to Takeru and nodded his head. “It seems like someone have the same habit as you, Takeru,”  
  
“Eh Sato, you eat salmon bento the same way as well?” Koji asked. Takeru nodded his head before he looked up to Kazumi as they both awkwardly turn away from each other .  
  
“See, I told you Koji didn’t I, that Takeru and Kazumi suited each other more than Kazumi and Hongo,” Inna said.   
  
Hongo gave a gratitude expression to Inna and Inna just rolled her eyes indicating that she didn’t meant it in anyway.   
  
Takeru pushed it off and denied such thing and Kazumi just blushed in embarrassment. Kazumi hurriedly stood up and wanted to go to the toilet. Inna stood up to accompany her when a man bumped into Kazumi and made her fall back, losing her balance.  
  
Koji who was the one right outside, immediately stood up on instinct and manage to catch her.   
  
“Nice one, Koji,” Hongo said and looked at him. “Now you know that it’s instinct and not that I was interested in her, right?” Hongo said before giving him the ‘I told you’ face.  
  
Koji ignored Hongo and helped Kazumi stood up. Inna who was at the side went over and helped the man up. The man stood up and apologized.   
  
“I am so sorry miss, I didn’t watch where I was going, are you hurt anywhere?” The person asked. He took out his name card and passes it over to Kazumi. “Here, this is my name card. If you need to claim any medical bill, feel free to contact me,”   
  
Kazumi, who was still in the midst of catching her conscious, took the name card and saw the name.  
  
The name was printed in solid gold and situated in the middle of the card  
  
 **‘Kanzaki Masato’  
**  
‘Kanzaki Masato....Masato? _’_  she murmured before she gazed up at the guy.   
  
This guy in front of Kazumi, was the source of her phobia towards boys. “You’re... Masato?”  
  
The guy has questions all over his head, before Inna walked over to Kazumi. “Kazumi, what’s wrong?”   
  
“Kazumi?” Masato whispered. He thought for a moment before a flash appeared in his head.   
  
“Aki Kazumi.... ?” he said as he looked at Kazumi. Kazumi nodded her head lightly and Masato immediately covered his mouth.   
  
Kazumi finally caught her balance and release herself from Koji.   
  
“It’s been awhile,” Kazumi said, her voice slightly shivering   
  
“Why don’t you come over to my table? My expected guest would be arriving late,” Masato asked.  
  
Kazumi nodded her head as she excused herself from the rest.  
  
“Who was that?” Hongo asked   
  
“I have no idea,” Inna said  
  
“You have no idea?” Hiro asked. “I thought you would have known,”  
  
“I told you guys she was manphobic right? But to be honest, I really have no clue why she is. She just told me that at a certain point of time when she started to get intimate with guys, she feels that she can barely breathe and feels that the world is as though collapsing in front of her,”  
  
Kazumi was lead to the table and she settle down across Masato. “How is life right now?” Masato asked. Kazumi nodded her head, and nervously fidgeted with her fingers.   
  
“I won’t do anything to you anymore. So don’t worry alright. I went to see a psychiatrist already so I am fine now,  
   
Kazumi slightly relaxed as she looked up towards Masato. “I must have hurt you so much previously that you are so afraid of me,”  
  
Kazumi shakes her head, and manage to get her voice out. “It isn’t just you anymore. Whenever I know any guy is interested in me, I shivers and started to get really fidgety and nervous,”  
  
Masato smiled and said “Does it help if I say that I harbor nothing of such thoughts and feelings towards you anymore?”  
  
Kazumi looked at him, expecting him to continue.  
  
“If it helps I won’t mind saying it. It is a fact to be honest, I really have no such thoughts anymore. I don’t have the rights to. I wasn’t a good boyfriend to you. I hurt you and I didn’t protect you. I don’t expect to gain forgiveness from you. When you left me, it was like you slapped me awake. I knew I can’t continue like that anymore,”  
  
He paused before he continued. “So I went to see a psychiatrist and get my illness cured. I just stopped medication not long and I no longer have any violence urges anymore,”  
  
Kazumi nodded her head. “That’s good to hear,”   
  
By then she have calmed down, and body frame was no longer shivering.  
  
Masato felt his phone vibrated and took it out to have a glance. “Alright I guess we should end here, my guest is arriving,” he raised his hand out.   
  
“I am glad to see you today, Kazumi. I hope we can still remain as friends,”  
  
Kazumi raised out her hands and shake his. “I am glad you are recovered too,”  
  
Kazumi then returned to her seat, where the rest are waiting for her. As she glanced at them from a distance, she took a deep breath and decided that this one step towards them is a next step towards her future.   
  
///  
After that restaurant incident, nobody asked Kazumi who the Masato guy is as they felt that if Kazumi wants to tell them, she would one day.   
  
However they felt that something changed in Kazumi. After that day, she started to able to shorten the distance between herself and the guys and she was more cheerful and sociable as compared to last time   
  
“Ah ah, my Kazumi is all grown up now so she doesn’t need me anymore,” Inna said as she took the drink and slurp it down. Hongo pushed the plate of chips towards her.  
  
“That’s not true, Kazumi-chan is still as careless as last time so you still need to look after her, Inna-san,”  
  
Inna peered over to Hongo, “Say Hongo, you know me longer than you know Kazumi isn’t it? Why are you still calling me ‘-san’ while you calls Kazumi ‘-chan’ ?”  
  
Hongo sheepishly scratched his face, while he looked away.   
=  
Inna looked at Hongo, before she rolled her eyes. “Whatever, anyway it’s not like I care,” Hongo felt that Inna is a little upset, and he took a deep breathe and tried to utter the words Inna like to hear.  
=  
“Then.... Inna.... chan?”  
  
Inna heart skipped a beat upon hearing it. She looked away and Hongo face was flushed red without her knowing.   
  
“Idiot, who gives you the permission to call me that,” Inna murmured, with a slight hint of happiness in her tone.  
  
“Here you go, your set meals, enjoy,”  
  
“Thank you Kazumi-chan,”

“You’re welcome, Hongo-kun,”  
  
She looks at the seats before she only saw the two of them. “Is Koji-kun and Takeru-kun not coming down?”   
  
“Takeru needs to be home cooking while Koji is in school,” Hongo paused before looking at Kazumi.  
  
“Which are you worried about. Koji or Takeru?”  
  
Inna looked over to Hongo and give him a thumb up. “You’re a great learner!” Inna complimented him.  
  
Kazumi used the tray that she was carrying to cover her face. “What are you talking about Hongo-kun! I am not thinking of seeing anyone of them! I am just curious, jeez!” before she run off to do her work  
  
Inna then took up her fork and started to pick up her vegetables to eat.  
  
“Well it’s pretty obvious Koji is interested in Kazumi-chan, but for Takeru, I really have no idea. He isn’t showing anything that gives off that kind of feelings, but I know he is particularly interested in Kazumi. However if it’s that kind of like, I really have no idea,”  
  
“Hmm.. the blockhead Hongo is finally thinking of such things, that’s surprising,”  
  
Hongo look over to Inna before he facepalmed himself. “Shit I am hanging out with you too often till I am catching all your bad habit,” He then slapped himself lightly on the face. “Kanata Hongo, remember who you are and don’t get lead astray!”  
  
Inna give him a hard slap on the back. “Who is the one setting bad example here?”  
  
Both of them laughed at each other before carrying on their foods.  
  
///  
“So how is it that I told you check up on?” Hiro asked as he placed the cup of coffee down.  
  
The person opposite him has placed a brown envelope onto the table. “It is exactly what you suspected, I managed to track back and found out everything you suspected. It’s all inside this envelope, whether you want to read it, its up to you,”  
  
Hiro took his wallet out and passed a sum of money to the person, “Thank you,”  
  
“You’re welcome, its my job after all,”  
  
After saying, the person stood up and left the place. Hiro settled down as he stared at the brown envelope. Moments later he grabbed the envelope and opened the contents  
  
///  
“What is it that you wanted to tell me?” Takeru asked as he settled down into the sofa. Hiro looked at Takeru and asked him a question, “Are you interested in Kazumi-chan?”  
  
Takeru stoned for a moment before he laughed out loud. “Hiro, I thought you were more clever than this. You know that i don’t see Kazumi-chan in that way. Don’t listen to what Inna or Hongo is thinking,”  
  
Hiro looked at Takeru again. “Are you really sure about that, I am asking a very serious question,”   
  
Takeru looked at Hiro and nodded his head, “Yes, I am hundred percent sure I do not think of Kazumi-chan in that way,”  
  
Hiro heaved a sigh of relief before he eyed the brown envelope that was on the table. “Look at it and you will know why did I ask such a question,”  
  
Takeru looked over to Hiro before he took the envelope and read the contents that was inside.  
  
Takeru remained silent once he read everything. He stared into space before looking over to Hiro. “Is this reliable? Is this really true?”  
  
Hiro nodded his head. “I confirmed it myself, so yes,”  
  
Takeru slumped against the sofa. “I can’t believe this, I finally found her,”  
  
///  
“So sorry for being late, Takeru-kun, I got caught up in something,” Kazumi apologized as she hurriedly settled down.   
  
“So what is it that you wanted to talk about?” Takeru stared at the said girl before a rush of emotions overwhelmed him. “Kazumi, I.... “  
  
Just then, someone shouted for Kazumi, and Kazumi turned to realize Koji was storming over to the duo.  
  
“Sato! That’s so cheap of you! It’s the second time that you quietly meet Kazumi-chan without telling us!”  
  
“I have something to talk to Kazumi-chan about, can you please leave us alone for today, Koji?”  
  
“No! Just to tell you, I already intended to confess to Kazumi-chan so don’t you dare to snatch her away from me!”  
  
Kazumi immediately turned away from Koji once she heard that as she realizes how happy is she but she would not want Koji to know about it.  
  
“This is something even more important than confession, Koji. Just leave us to be!”  
  
“No Sato! You are playing cheat, you always is. If you want to confess you confess right in front of me,”  
  
Takeru sighed, as he knows Koji would not walk away so easily. Especially he is known for his stubbornness, and once he decided something, he would not easily give up.   
  
“Alright, alright, then stay on. Grab a seat, everyone else is staring,”.Koji hurriedly grabbed a chair and settled down on the table   
  
Takeru took a brown envelope out from his bag and pushed it over to Kazumi. “Look at this and you will know what I want to tell you,” Kazumi took the envelope and open it, reading and digesting all the contents found inside.  
  
Koji who was at the side, was also reading it. After finishing, he exclaimed in shock.   
  
“That’s why I told you, it’s more important than confession, isn’t it?”  
  
Takeru took a deep breath before looking at Kazumi who have caught eye contact with him, “Kazumi-chan, I’m your older twin brother, we’re blood related siblings,”  
  
Kazumi dropped the paper and look at Koji. Koji tried to say something but before he could, Kazumi have run out of the shop. Koji run after her before they ended up in a park.   
  
“Kazumi-chan, are you okay?” Koji asked as he makes himself comfortable beside Kazumi.  
  
Kazumi nodded her head, and suddenly tears stream down her face. Koji got a shock of his life before he started panicking and thinking on how he should be comforting her.  
  
“I am fine. It’s just that the moment when Takeru-kun told me we are blood siblings, I suddenly remembered everything.  The memories flashed inside my brain like a broken recorder. It’s in fragments, but I can see it very clearly,”  
  
“My father took my brother and run away from us that night. My mother cried and cried, claiming that my father abandoned us. Not long she got into depression and fall sick. After a few months of suffering, my mother passed away. I didn’t know where to go so I roam around and started to fall sick due to lack of food and water. That was when my adopted mother picked me up. After I recover from my fever, I only had vague memories,”  
  
Kazumi suddenly burst into tears. “How horrible am I! How can I forget about this?”  
  
Koji started to get fidgety and panicky as he witness the calm and the once ice princess crying in front of him. In his heart, he is actually glad, as only he is able to witness such a sight from her and no one else. Koji placed his arm around Kazumi’s shoulder and started to pat on her lightly, indicating that he will be here. Slowly, Kazumi leaned against Koji’s shoulder and started to cry out loudly once again.   
  
Koji have no idea how long did Kazumi cried, but after what seems to be an eternity, Kazumi calmed down and stopped crying.   
  
She immediately stood up and apologized for causing a ruckus. Koji smiled and said that it is okay and that he doesn’t mind at all. Kazumi stood up and wanted to leave when she lost her balance and almost fall down when Koji caught hold of her once again.  
  
“Jeez, watch your steps will you? You are really very clumsy, first time was Hongo, second and third time was me. How many times do you want us to catch you?”  
  
Kazumi laughed sheepishly before she turned back to Koji. “If it’s Koji-kun, I wouldn’t mind falling even more tim,” after saying she hurriedly walked off.   
  
Koji stood there for a few seconds to absorb the words she said.  _What does she mean? Does she mean in that way that she said so?_  
  
Koji could not care less and he knew that it is a very good opportunity to confess right now. He hurriedly chases after her and grabbed onto her wrist to stop her from walking.  
  
Kazumi turned around looked at Koji before Koji avert his glance at Kazumi as he feels like his body temperature is raising and could be melting any moment.  
  
Koji then grab hold of the other hand and looked at Kazumi. He has decided to confess and he is going to do it!  
  
“Say, Kazumi-chan, I know in the beginning I did tried to bring you and Hongo together, but after months of interacting and hanging out with you, I realize that I started to fall for you, and you are not the so called ice princess as they claimed to be. I don’t want this opportunity to slip by me just like that. I know I will regret in the future if I don’t do so right now,”   
  
He took a deep inhale of air into him and looked at Kazumi. “Aki Kazumi, will you be my girlfriend? I will treat you right, I will protect you, I will cherish and treasure you,”  
  
Kazumi face flushed red and she hurriedly use her hands to cover her face, before she nodded her head, "Protect me well, alright?"  
  
Koji immediately hugged her in excitement  
  
///  
“So what is the purpose of gathering all of us here today?” Inna asked.  
  
Kazumi then looked at Koji before looking over to Takeru awkwardly. She still cannot digest down the fact that Takeru is her twin brother.   
  
Hiro looked at everyone before he sighed, “Okay maybe this is too much, but let Takeru say it himself,” as he look over to Takeru.  
  
Takeru looked over to Kazumi, and Kazumi just averted her glance away from him.  
  
“I found my sister,"  
  
“That’s great news!”  Inna said. “Why are you hesitating about it?”   
  
Takeru looked, took a deep inhale again, and announce.  
  
“My sister is Kazumi-chan,” Everybody diverted their eyes towards Kazumi and Kazumi turned away.   
  
“I got back my memories when Takeru-kun told me. My family name is Sato. I am Sato Kazumi,”  
  
Koji placed his hand onto Kazumi’s and say, “You can be called Aki Kazumi or Sato Kazumi, it doesn’t matter, you will be known as Seto Kazumi in the future!”  
  
Everybody stare at the duo and they realize that they just indirectly announce that they are dating right in front of them.   
  
Inna rose up, and pulled Koji out of the place to ask the details while the others just congratulate Kazumi on finally settling for Koji when they initially paired her up with Hongo.   
  
Hongo retaliated and clarified that he wasn’t interested in Kazumi in the first place, and it was Koji that insisted on pairing them up   
  
Finally Koji and Inna returned, with Koji expression looks tired from all the questioning that Inna have asked.   
  
Inna then settled down and look at Takeru and Kazumi, “So what do both of you intend to do now that you found out the truth?” Kazumi lowered her head, while Takeru just shrugged his shoulder.  
  
“I am seriously lost to be honest, but... what I know is that I am glad that Kazumi-chan is the sister I am looking for. I mean, I could totally get used to it,”  
  
Kazumi smiled and nodded her head. “It will take time for me to call you onii-chan, but... for now maybe aneki?”  
  
Koji immediately placed his hands around Kazumi’s shoulder , “No way, I won’t allow you to call Takeru ‘onii chan’! You cant, no! I can accept aneki but not onii chan! It will be too moe, and nobody can hear that!”  
  
“There is a very heavy vinegar smell in the air,” Hongo teased while Inna high five Hongo.  
  
 Koji looked at the duo and pointed at them. “These two should totally get together, stop your flirting in front of us!”   
  
Inna and Hongo looked at each other before they smirked. Hongo then grabbed onto Inna’s hand and said, “Don’t bother, we are already together,”  
  
All jaws dropped and this time is Kazumi dragged Hongo out for clarification.  
  
“Tell us about it, Inna!” Koji pushed for an explanation.  
  
“It wasn’t as romantic as yours for sure, Koji,”   
  
Koji nudged Inna before Inna cleared her throat. “We were going back after we had lunch, and then this guy on the street bumped into me. Hongo helped me to stable my balance, so he grabbed onto me. Just when we were about to cross the road, Hongo just grabbed onto my hand and cross the road, after that he didn’t let go, so it was kind of a mutual understanding between us i guess?”  
  
“Eh, I can’t believe that Hongo is such a blockhead,”   
  
“Do you even realise that Hongo is a blockhead right from the start?” Inna commented.  
  
“Now who is saying me a blockhead?” Hongo appeared behind and Inna raised her hands up. “I said it, what are you going to do?”   
  
Hongo hooked onto inna’s neck and said, “This!”  
  
Inna hurriedly slapped onto his arm and screamed, “Is this how you treat your girlfriend, Kanata Hongo!?”  
  
Everyone on the spot started laughing.  
  
“So how did the questioning went?” Koji teased Hongo. Hongo just shrugged, “It was..... fine. I bet it is not as much as Inna questioning you right, Koji?” Koji nodded his head as he remembered the integration. Inna smacked him hard on the head while Koji gently rubbed his head after that.   
  
///  
“Hey what took you so long!” Takeru called out as his elder brother ran over. Sorry, there was a jam, is it even time yet? He asked.  
  
Takeru smacked Hiro on the head, “Glad that you are not the last one! If not I definitely will reprimand you even more,”  
  
“Takeru-nii!” A voice sounded and Takeru turned. Kazumi was walking towards them and right behind her, she was dragging Koji along.   
  
“Koji you are forever taking your time! You do know that it is hard for me to meet up Takeru-nii and you always taking your own sweet time to get ready!”   
  
Koji started pouting and gave a death glare towards Takeru. Takeru smiled and averted his eye contact while whispering to Kazumi, “Did I offend him in anyway?”  
  
Kazumi shake her head and just sighed. “He always give this response when I call you. Don’t you remember he initially only approve me of calling you aneki?”  
  
Takeru thought back, “Oh yes, such thing did happen,”  
  
“Hiro-nii you are surprisingly early today!” Kazumi commented. Takeru looked at Kazumi “I said the same thing to him as well,”  
  
“Enough is enough! I am still the older brother here, stop teasing me already,”  
  
“Well,y ou need to not give us a chance to say you,” Takeru retorted before Kazumi giggled quietly.   
  
“Where is Inna and Hongo?”   
  
“They went to the boutique to try out the wedding dress so they told me that they might be late. We can settle down first. Have you tried on yours already, Kazumi?” Takeru questioned.  
  
“Yes! We have choose the restaurant to hold our wedding already, it’s awesome!” Kazumi went on while telling Takeru all about the plans.  
  
Hiro and Koji slowly walked behind as they see the duo happily talking away. “Time seems to pass so fast. How many years have it been since they reconcile?”  
  
“Five years ago. It was the same time that me and Kazumi started out,” Koji said as he shake his head.   
  
“In a glimpse and my little sister is getting married. You better treat her right if not two fellows are going to come after you,”   
  
“I know Hiro-nii, I won’ t mistreat her, I promise,”  
  
///  
“Inna, Hongo, here!” the other duo hurriedly walked in and apologized for coming so late.   
  
“So sorry the boutique assistant was horrible! You can’t believe it!”  
  
Hongo started to blabber on non-stop and Inna just took her cup of coffee and sipped on it. “I wonder who is the girl over here,” Inna commented. Kazumi laughed while Inna just shake her head as Hongo continue blabbering  
  
“All these gathering really started out when the five of us started to hang out that time,” Inna said.  
  
“I can still remember the time when we all met at the cafe, and how I warned you guys that Kazumi was manphobic,”  
  
“And how Koji started to pair Hongo and Kazumi together!”  
  
“And how Koji and Hongo started arguing,”  
  
“Then Takeru started to seems like he is interested in Kazumi,”  
  
“Then he realized that Kazumi is his sister,”   
  
“From Kazumi addressing Takeru-kun to Takeru-nii and how Koji got all jealous,”  
  
“That’s so childish really!” Kazumi added on.   
  
Koji started pouting once again.   
  
Inna raised up her cup and said, “From now on and forever, lets all stay together as one!”  
  
Kazumi took her cup up as well, “Forever!”   
  
Koji followed, “Forever it shall be!”  
  
Hongo and Takeru followed likewise and the last one was Hiro. “Forever, we should be,”  
  
“To our future, cheers!” the five of them said in unison.

_Zutto, kore kara mou._   
_Forever, from now on._

_Let us start the journey from here, till the end of it._


End file.
